By ROBERT L. LEE

It may not seem like the most exciting round of games to hit the area, but when you think about the drive behind the actions and some of the effort needed to make the smallest gains, the weekend and the athletes involved takes on a special new look. This weekend, actually beginning yesterday and ending Sunday at noon, the Special Olympics’ 2002 State Summer Games will be held at Southeastern University in Hammond. Now this is not some small event being held in the corner of a school playground, for one, the school is a college, secondly, more than 1,300 athletes and coaches alone will fill the Strawberry Stadium. The event is free to the public and more than 1,000 volunteers will be on hand, keeping things like food moving easily.

In addition to the scheduled competitions, participants will have a variety of activities available for entertainment, such as the Audubon Park Zoomobile, the NFL Experience, arcade games, arts activities and a host of other spectator and participatory events. Besides the food, free admission, these events and the opportunity for a nice short drive, the main reason to go is about watching and supporting the athletes who are genuinely trying to stretch for that next yard, or push for just one more point. While some of the participants may not be the quickest runners in the area, you have to give it to them, they are putting in every ounce of their personal effort to get those legs flying, both physically and mentally.

Various other players in every sport rely on their drive to return time after time and overpower their opponents, but throw in that obstacle, combined with having to overpower your own bindings, and the desire to win immediately has to be doubled. Professional athletes sit out a game for “turf toe,” while these athletes are grinning ear to ear at the sight of their event and they have far bigger things to deal with.

The competitions began with opening ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. Friday evening, then this morning at 7:30 a.m. and running until 5 p.m. Sunday’s activities start at 8 a.m. and finish at noon. The opening ceremonies kicked off with the arrival of the Olympic Torch, escorted by law enforcement officers across a 1,000-mile Torch Run relay. A parade of athletes and the lighting of the Special Olympics Flame of Hope capped off the evening. Tom Dempsey, the Saint who almost everyone remembers for kicking the NFL’s longest ever field goal, will serve as the honorary head coach, while President of Southeastern University, Randy Moffett, is the Honorary Games Chairperson. Sports Director of WWL-TV, Jim Henderson, served as the Master of Ceremonies for Friday’s opening ceremonies. With these people, these honest athletes, these events and food, it just seems like a good, complete day.

ROBERT L. LEE is the sports editor. He can be reached at 985-652-9545.